Survey points to low breastfeeding practice

While 35.7 % children in rural Vellore were exclusively breastfed, it was 40 % across the district

Are many mothers in Vellore, especially its rural parts, refraining from breastfeeding their newborns?

Going by the District Level Household and Facility Survey-4 (DLHS-4) for 2012-2013, there has been a drop in the percentage of children exclusively breastfed in Vellore from the previous survey during 2007-2008.

While a few doctors pointed out that this has been the trend in many rural areas in the last few years, some said that this was not the case.

Among the sample surveyed in Vellore, a total of 76.3 per cent children aged 0 to 5 months were exclusively breastfed, while it was 57.9 per cent in rural Vellore in DLHS-3. There has been a drop in this percentage in DLHS-4.

It has found that 35.7 per cent children in rural Vellore were exclusively breastfed, while it was 40 per cent across the district.

This was found among children who were given nothing but breast milk till the survey date. Looking at exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months in children aged six to 35 months, DLHS-4 again found low percentages of 18.8 per cent across the district and 19 percent in rural parts.

A government doctor said breastfeeding had reduced in rural areas, such as Tirupattur. “This has been the trend in the last 3-5 years. Many mothers misconceive that milk secretion will be poor. They assume that feeding is not adequate for babies,” he said.

Due to lack of breastfeeding, babies tend to fall ill frequently and have problems of weight, he added.

A village health nurse said they always emphasised on exclusive breastfeeding of babies up to six months.

“We tell mothers not to give water too. Mothers working in industries in areas such as Ambur and Ranipet may have problems in breastfeeding. We tell that they can extract milk and store it at home,” she explained.

However, a few paediatricians and gynaecologists, deny that mothers in Vellore avoided breastfeeding.